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735 Words
Sebastian Hale stood by the expansive window of his penthouse, the glittering Manhattan skyline spread out before him. The city never slept, its pulse steady and unrelenting. Yet tonight, even its vibrant energy couldn’t distract him from the storm brewing inside his head.
Isabelle.
Her name echoed through his mind, refusing to be silenced. Seeing her again after all these years had shaken him in ways he hadn’t anticipated. She was different now—stronger, more confident—but there was still a part of her that called to him, the same part he had never quite let go of.
He clenched his jaw, gripping the edge of the window frame. He had thought time would dull the ache of losing her, but it hadn’t. If anything, it had only made him more aware of just how badly he had messed things up.
And then there was Victoria.
As if summoned by his thoughts, the sharp ring of his phone cut through the silence. Sebastian glanced at the screen, his lips pressing into a thin line when he saw her name flashing across it.
Victoria Sinclair.
With a sigh, he answered the call. “Victoria,” he said, his tone clipped.
“Sebastian, darling,” her sultry voice purred through the line. “I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.”
“I’ve been busy,” he replied tersely.
“Too busy for an old friend?” she teased. “That hurts.”
Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck, irritation simmering beneath the surface. Victoria had always known how to get under his skin, and even now—years after their breakup—she hadn’t lost her touch.
“What do you want, Victoria?” he asked bluntly.
“Straight to the point, as always,” she said with a laugh. “I was just thinking about how much fun we used to have. Remember those weekends in the Hamptons?”
Sebastian’s grip on the phone tightened. “That was a long time ago.”
“But it doesn’t have to be ancient history,” she said coyly. “I’m back in the city for a while. We should catch up.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” she challenged. “Afraid your new flame will get jealous?”
“There’s no one,” he said stiffly, though the image of Isabelle’s fierce gaze flashed through his mind.
Victoria hummed thoughtfully. “Well, that makes things interesting. How about dinner tomorrow night? My treat.”
“Victoria—”
“Don’t say no,” she cut him off smoothly. “You owe me at least that much, don’t you?”
Sebastian’s jaw clenched. He knew better than to get entangled with her again, but Victoria was relentless. And part of him—though he hated to admit it—felt guilty for how things had ended between them.
“Fine,” he relented. “One dinner.”
“Perfect,” she said triumphantly. “I’ll text you the details. Don’t be late.”
The line went dead, and Sebastian exhaled sharply.
Victoria had always been a complication—a whirlwind of charm and chaos that had drawn him in and left him reeling. Their relationship had been passionate but toxic, filled with moments of pleasure that quickly soured into regret.
He had thought leaving Isabelle for Victoria was what he wanted at the time. But it hadn’t taken long for him to realize just how wrong he had been.
Victoria had never understood him the way Isabelle did. She had wanted the Sebastian Hale who threw lavish parties and graced the pages of society magazines—not the man who craved something real, something lasting.
And when the glitter had faded, so had their relationship.
But Victoria was nothing if not persistent. Even after their breakup, she had continued to insert herself into his life, always finding a way to show up when he least expected it.
Sebastian sighed, running a hand through his hair. He couldn’t afford to get distracted—not now. Isabelle was back, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, there was unfinished business between them.
He needed to find a way to fix things, to make her see that he wasn’t the same man who had walked away from her.
But first, he had to deal with Victoria.
- Writer
